An example of a conventional refrigerant recovery/recycling system 11 is illustrated in FIG. 1. The refrigerant recovery/recycling system 11 includes a source container 12 directly connected to a recovery/recycling device 22 via a line 16. Typically, a recovery/recycling device 22 is preconditioned and replenished with refrigerant used for charging by drawing refrigerant into the device from vapor phase refrigerant 20 in the source container 12. This causes the source container 12 to reduce in pressure and thereby chill substantially the source container 12.
This method of replenishing the recovery/recycling device 22 is slow due to low pressure as a result of the chilling effect of depletion of the source refrigerant vapor. If liquid refrigerant 18 is drawn directly into the recovery/recycling device 22, various components within the recovery/recycling device 22 will become sluggish due to the liquid refrigerant, which again slows the transfer of refrigerant to the recovery/recycling device 22. Furthermore, if sufficient liquid is drawn into the recovery/recycling device 22, a compressor powering the recovery/recycling device 22 may fail. There is, therefore, a need for a refrigerant recovery/recycling system that prevents chilling and slowed/stopped flow from the source container to the recovery/recycling device to improve the rate of charging of the recovery/recycling device.